Easily Scared? Here Are The Best Australian Horror Movies To Scare You The Aussie Way

With most of the country uninhabitable, snakes and spiders abound and plenty of bushland to hide some bodies, it’s safe to say Australia is a pretty scary place. This makes it an excellent place to create some spring-tingling horror flicks.

If you’re looking to get scared senseless, we’ve found some absolutely terrifying movies for you to watch while peeking out from behind your doona. 

Here are the best Australian horror movies and where to watch them.

The Loved Ones

This teen horror is a wild ride from start to finish. It follows teenager Lola Stone who invites Brent to the school formal, who declines. What follows is an absolutely bonkers and creepy tale of revenge. If you have a weak stomach, maybe give this one a miss. But if you’re a lover of gore and keen on seeing a fresh take on dark teen horror, add this to your list. 

You can stream The Loved Ones on Apple TV.

Wolf Creek

No list of ‘best Australian horror movies’ is complete without Wolf Creek. Drawing inspiration from serial killer Ivan Milat, the plot follows three backpackers who are hiking in isolated bushland when they run into trouble, and also a seemingly friendly local. While I found this movie terrifying, the fact that this is based on Ivan Milat’s real-life murders is particularly haunting. Maybe watch this one with the lights on…

You can stream Wolf Creek on Stan and Prime.

Snowtown

Snowtown is another creepy watch that is based on real-life events. Troubled youth Jamie develops a close bond with his mother’s new boyfriend John, who takes him under his wing. But then, things start getting complicated and people start disappearing. This movie is tragic and dark in so many ways, and it really consumes you as it plays out. Trust me that this is a horror story that will stick with you. 

You can watch Snowtown on Apple TV.

Relic

This psychological horror is a real slow-burn, but if you’re a fan of creepy, well-paced horrors, then this is for you. Relic follows Sam and her mother Kay after Kay’s mother goes missing. When they head to her home to find her, they discover signs she might have dementia, and when she returns she is erratic and very volatile. But is it her, or is it something in the house? If you liked The Haunting Of Hill House and Paranormal, this is right up your alley.

You can stream Relic on Stan.

The Babadook

The premise of this movie is simple, but the execution is just terrifying: a young boy is afraid that the monster from his book is real. The film boasts a 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and for good reason, with something about this simple idea tapping into a very real fear and anxiety in a lot of us. The movie itself is also horror done best, with realistic, thoughtful characters, well-built tension and genuine scares.
 

You can watch The Babadook on Prime, ABC iView and SBS On Demand.

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Picnic At Hanging Rock

This classic 1975 film is an Australian horror-mystery based on the 1967 novel of the same name. The story follows the disappearance of several schoolgirls and their teacher following a picnic at Hanging Rock in the year 1900, and the fallout. It’s a slow, haunting film that is really beautifully shot. The movie is also strangely mesmerising and also tragic, but it’s a win with audiences, scoring 92% on Rotten Tomatoes. If you’re looking for a slow-burn, nostalgic horror, this one’s for you.

You can watch Picnic At Hanging Rock on Apple TV.

Wake In Fright

This 1971 horror film is like the outback trip from your worst nightmare. Schoolteacher John Grant is trying to get to Sydney to visit his girlfriend but on the way there finds himself stuck in a mining town called Bundanyabba (or ‘The Yabba’). The residents are rough and John falls in with them and their horrifying ways. This classic, with a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, is definitely worth adding to your watch list.

You can watch it on ABC iView.

Talk To Me

Teens in a spooky scenario? Check. Evil spirits? Check. An embalmed, severed hand? Check. This 2022 Aussie horror really does have it all. Premiering at the Adelaide Film Festival, Talk To Me sees a group of teens using an embalmed hand to contact spirits. What can go wrong? While the premise is simple, the execution is gripping and you will be holding your (hopefully) non-severed hands tight onto the edge of your seat until it’s over.

You can watch Talk To Me online on Stan or Netflix.

Cargo

Finally, a zombie movie set in the Aussie outback. This post-apocalyptic movie sees Andy, his wife Kay and their baby Rosie flee into the outback to escape a virus that turns people into rabid zombies within 48 hours. The movie isn’t your standard zombie flick, with a nice character-driven approach that keeps things very dramatic. Plus, the harsh realities of the outback are present throughout. 

You can watch Cargo on Netflix.

Main image credit: Amazon Prime